In line with Belgian Defence’s aim to reinforce the technological and knowledge base at national level, the Royal Higher Institute for Defence wishes to enhance research collaborations with the different universities and associated university hospitals in the field of military medicine. Therefore, a pilot call for projects within 2 dedicated themes will be launched this year.
To inform potential applicants about the context, scope and modalities of this pilot call, a dedicated info moment will be organised on Wednesday 30 April 2025, from 10.00 to 12.00 at the Royal Military Academy in Brussels.
Theme1 - Military physical recruitment and readiness standards
A groundbreaking project is set to upgrade the military physical recruitment and readiness standards. You will propose your innovative approaches to enhance the physical recruitment standards for the different military occupations. Candidates pass a full medical assessment, next to other tests. An increase in the recruitment pace is needed but an evaluation and potential adaptation of the criteria could be done to be more efficient and effective.
Theme 2 – Eradication of Staphylococcal Skin Colonisation with Phages
This project will be a clinical trial exploring innovative approaches to eradicate MRSA and MSSA skin colonization. The ESCAPES TRIAL (Eradication of Staphylococcal Skin Colonisation Applying Phage Emulsion and Spray) should evaluate the safety and efficacy of bacteriophage therapy as an alternative to standard treatments. This research is crucial for developing non-antibiotic solutions to combat antimicrobial resistance which is a major issue in military medicine.
